Delayed action door closer



Dec. 20, 1960 W. J. GOHR DELAYED ACTION DOOR CLOSER Filed Feb. 8. 1957 Mm. v

INVENTOR 11/, \f Ga/r ATTORNEY United States l atent CI DELAYED ACTION DOOR CLOSER William J. Gohr, Berrien Springs, Mich., assignor to The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Feb. 8, 1957, Ser. No. 639,036

2 Claims. (Cl. 16-51) opening and closing movements of a door to which the closer is secured. Each head on the piston is adapted to act against fluid in the chamber, but in the usual closer of this type a ball valve in each piston head allows the fluid to flow past that head when the head moves away from its corresponding end of the chamber. When moving-in the opposed direction, each piston head causes the fluid to flow through two ports, that flow being controlled by a valve as is fully explained in the Norton patent. Thus, by adjusting one control valve or the other, it is possible to adjust the closing speed of the door and also to absorb the shock incidental to full opening of the door.

Under some conditions, it is desirable that the door remain open for a short period of time, once it is opened, so as to enable a person to pass easily through the door without manually holding the door open. For example, when a person is encumbered with luggage, it is a very considerable advantage if the closer be effective to hold the door in open position for a short interval before it acts to close the door in normal fashion. The patent to Woodruff, No. 2,586,135 issued February 19, 1952, shows a door closer that will act in that way to control a door. In that patent, a particular head of the piston is utilized for holding the door in open position, with that same head controlling the normal closing movement. To do this, Woodruff forms the closer casing with an additional I port having a special valve to achieve the necessary control of the fluid. Thereby the closer casing is specially formed-and is not a standard casing. Through the extremely novel concept of my invention, I am able .to utilize a standard closer casing of the type shown in the Norton patent, while so controlling the fluid that the closer will hold the door in substantially full open position for a predetermined time, once the door is moved to thatv position. Further, the hold open feature may be used in either of the operating directionsofmy closer, whereas Woodrutf' can hold open in only one operating direction. As one feature of my invention, I utilize one head of the piston for controlling the closing movement in a,

conventional manner, but I utilize the second head of the piston for holding the closerin position corresponding to the open position of the door. To accomplish this, I eliminate the usual ball valve inthe second piston head, and utilize instead a valve that enables the second piston head to move freely in a door opening direction, but that will notallow movement of fluid past the head when the piston moves in a door closing direction.

I then utilize a control valve that will control the flow pt fluid through the port nearest that end of the cylindrical chamber that corresponds to the second end of the piston. This enables me to control the flow of fluid past the second piston head as'the piston starts to move away from full door opening position, so that the closer can hold the door practically stationary in open position. At the end of a predetermined period of time, the piston will move past the second port at the same end of the cylindrical chamber, that port then enabling the fluid to flow past the second piston head so that the door can close in a normal manner.

I utilize for the control valve a valve similar to that of the Norton patent. That valve may control fluid flow through both ports at the second end of the cylindrical chamber, but I do prefer to arrange the valve to allow free flow through the second port. Then, once the second piston head passes that port, the closing movement will be controlled simply through the usual valve at the opposed end of the closer.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as includ-- ing such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in theart.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section showing my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Referring now more particularlyto the drawing, I show a door closer having a conventional casing 10 like that shown in the Norton patent, to which I have already.

drical chamber 11. The door closer has further a piston 15 having two heads 16, 116 that are adapted to slide in I cylindrical chamber 11. A central rack portion 17 on the piston 15 is in meshing relation to a pinion 18, that pinion rotating whereby to move the piston with the opening and closing movements of a door to which the closer is secured. A conventional spring, not shown, acts through pinion 18 to move piston 15 in a door closing direction, as will be understood.

The first piston head 16 is equipped with a ball valve 19 that will allow fluidin chamber 11 to flow past that piston head when the piston 15 moves in a door opening direction. The ball valve 19 will close, however, when the piston moves in a door clos ng direction, that direc- This enables the tion being toward the left in Fig. 1. piston head 16 to act against the fluid in thecorresponding end of chamber 11 for controlling. theclosing move g i ment of the door. That controlis made effective through a valve 20 that will control the flow of fluid through theports 12,13. I believe it will be unnecessary to'describe in further detail the action of the valvep20 since that action is conventional; and "will be readily understood through reference to the Norton patent. "-l-tis important.

here to know merely that the valve 20 will control the closing movement in a usual way.

A passage 14 places the ports 12, 13 and 112, 113 in communication with the central part of cylin- 2,964,779 I I I g In the extremely novel closer construction that I have now conceived, I utilize in the second piston head 116 aball valve 21 that is somewhat like the ball valve 19 in the first piston head. It is extremely important to observe,

however, that I arrange the ball valve 21- in such a way' that it will open when piston 15 moves in a door opening direction, or toward the right in Fig. 1. In other words, valve 21 will allow a free flow of fluid past the second piston-head 116 so that the piston will move freely to a position corresponding to full opening of the door, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. As the door starts to move away from full open position, the ball valve 21 will close and will not then allow the-fluid to flow past the second piston head 116.

Together with the ball valve 21, my novel construction has an adjustable control valve 22 that will control the flow of fluidthrough the port 112 that is nearest to the second end of cylindrical chamber 11. appreciated, when considering Fig. 1, that I can utilize valve 22 merely by assembling it in the place of a conventional valve that is utilized in closers of the type shown by Norton. In fact, the control valve 22 may be like the valve of the Morton patent, except that I do prefer to make valve 22 shorter whereby it will not control fluid flow through port 113.

It will be seen, therefore, that control valve 22 is adapted to control the flow of fluid from the left hand end of the second piston head 116, as viewed in Fig. 1, toward the right hand and of that head. By so controlling the fluidflow, the control valve 22 will be effective to oppose movement of piston 15' in a door closing direction, once the piston moves to the fullline position in Fig. 1, corresponding to the full opening of.

the door.

Actually, valve 22 may be entirely shut, normal leakage'past piston head 116 then permitting movement ofthe piston 15 at a very slow rate. With the piston 15 in the full open position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, fluid can flow from the left of piston head 116 through port 112 only at an extremely low speed. Therefore quite some time must elapse before the piston will reach the dot and dash position shown in Fig. 1. In that position of the piston, which corresponds to a nearly full open position of the door, the second piston head 116 will uncover the port 113, so that the fluid can flow freely from the left hand end of the chamber 11 through ports 12, 13, as may be permitted by valve 20, and through passage 14 and port 113 toward the right hand end of piston head 116. Then, the closing movement will no longer be opposed by the fluid acting against the second piston head 116, and it will be possible for the piston 15 to move in a normal manner toward door closing position while under the normal control of the first piston head 16 and the valve 20 at the first end of the casing 10.

I believe it will be understood that, simply by adjusting the control valve 22, I can set the length of time that a door will be held in substantially open position. At the end of that time, the closer will control the closing movement in normal fashion, with that movement adapted to be adjusted through the usual valve 20. It is important to realize that I accomplish this through ex ceedingly simple means, while making a minimum number of changes in a conventional door closer. In fact, my invention enables me to utilize astandard door closer casing. Further, my invention allows the readyreversal ofthe closer for right and left hand-operation, merely through reversal in position of valves 20, 22, and reversal of piston 15, I believe, therefore, that those skilled in the art will appreciate fully the very considerable value of my novel contribution to the door closer art.

I now claim:

1. In a door closer of the class having a fluid filled cylindrical chamber, a' two-headed piston sliding in said It will be- 4. chamber in opposite directions during the opening and closing movements of a door to which the closer is connected, passages extending through both piston heads, means in said passages allowing free flow of fluid through said passages in both piston heads during opening movements of the door and closing said passages in both heads when the piston heads move during closing of the door, control passage means including a port at each end of the chamber for placing the ends of the chamber in communication with one another, one head of the piston acting as the door moves in the" closing direction to effect fluid flow away from one end of the chamber through said passage means toward the other end of the chamber, whilethe other head of the piston moves in a direction away from said other end of the chamber to enable that end to accept the fluid flow through said passage means, a speed control valve for controlling said fluid flow through said passage means whereby to control the closing speed of the closer, a further valve restricting the flow of fluid through the said port at said other end of the chamber, and a further port connecting said passage means to said chamber at a point that is spaced a short distance inwardly of the chamber relatively to said port at said other end of the chamber, said further port permitting an increased flow in said passage means into said other end of the chamber when said other piston head moves inwardly past said further port after an initial part of the movement of the piston in the door closing direction, so that the movement of the piston in the door closing direction can be accelerated and will then be controlled through the speed control valve.

2; In a door closer of the class having a fluid 'filled" cylindrical chamber, a two-headed piston sliding in said chamber in opposite directions during the opening and closing movements of a door to which the closer is connected, passages extending through both piston heads, ball check valves in said passages in both piston heads, said passages having valve seats against which said ball check valves move to close said passages in both piston heads when said heads move dur ng closing movements of the door, and allowing said ball check valves to move so that fluid can flow through said passages in both piston heads during opening of the door, control passage means including a port at each end of the chamber for placing the ends of the chamber in communication with one another, one head of the piston acting as the door moves in closing direction to effect fluid flow away from one end of the chamber through said passage means toward the other end of the chamber, while the other head of the piston moves in a direction away from said other end of the chamber to enable that end to accept the fluid flow through said passage means, a speed control valve for controlling the fluid flow through the port at said one end of the chamber whereby to control the closing speed of the closer, a further valve restricting the flow of fluid through the said port at said other end of the chamber, and a further port connecting said passage passingsaid further valve and permitting an increased flow in said passage means into said other end of the chamber when said other piston head moves inwardly past said further port after an initial part of the movement of the piston in the door closing direction, sothat the movement of the piston in the door closing direction can be accelerated and will 'then be controlled through the speed control valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,586,135 Woodruff Feb. 19, 1952 

